Means for graduating character spacing in a typewriter



Dec. 4, 1928.

K. c. o'BRYAN ET AL :sus ron emuums cHAnAcTER suona@ In A urmr'rsn Filed `April 15. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 mi 1|-- n..

Dec.- 4, 1928.

K. c. oBRYAN Er AL mus FOR GRADUTING CHARACTER SPCING IN A TYPB'RITBR Filed April 15. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Een .lull En lll Inventors ttorney 4 Sheetls-Sheet 5 DIII IIIIIII |II| III llll Dec. 4, 1928.

Dec. 4, 1928. 1,693,797 K. c. o'BRYAN Er A1.

IEANS FOR GRADUATING CHARACTER SPACING IN A TYPEWRITER Filed April 15, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 K a Ollnventors O O r ml u: ma'gfm Attorney Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

. 1,693,791 UNITED STATES PATENToFFlcE.

KENNETH C. OBBYAN AND JAMES W. OBRYVAN, 0F WABHINGTCN, DISTRICT 0l' COLUMBIA. l

MEANS FOR GBADUATING CHARACTER ASPACING' IN A TYPVEWBAITIB.

Application nl ed April 15, 1926. Serial No. 102,209.

This invention relates to improvementsin typewriter constructions and particularly to a mechanism adapted for attachment to standard typewriter constructions for graduating character spacing thereof.

This invention relates to substantial im-A provements over the structure in Patent No. 1,457,853, granted June 5, 1923, and the constructions shown in our co-pending application, Serial No. 624,485, of October 14th, 1926.

This invention embodies substantial improvements over these previous constructions by using a principle of operation dierent from either of these prior structures as a resultlof which the construction and operation of the device has been considerably improved and simplified.

The present embodiment comprehends the provision of a pivoted or rotary member interposed between the escapement mechanism and the carriage for transmitting motion from one to theothercontrolled in such a way as to vary the ratio of movement between the standard ymovement of the` escapement mechanism and the carriage so as to produce the desired or predetermined character spacing selected.

More specically, this invention comprehends the simplification in the construction of a space graduating mechanism in which the rack bar of the standard typewriter is mounted on the carriage for relative movement thereto, with a lever pivotally connected to the carriage and the rack bar movable in the operation of the carriage and the escapement mechanism to move the carriage relative to the rack bar for varying type spacing from the standard spacing set by the escapement mechanism, which is controllable by suitable mechanism mounted on the frame of the typewriter and manually operable to obtain a desired spacing of the character in av line of typing.

' The invent-ion further comprehendsnunierous 4objects residing in the improved construction and association of parts utilizing a rotary mechanism for varying the yratio of movement between the carriage and escapement mechanism which are more particularly pointed out in the following description and in the claims directed to a preferred form of construction, ait being understood, however, that various changes in the size, sha e and relation of the parts may be made wit out departing from the spirit and scope of 56 Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail plan view of ghe control member and the mounting thereor, l

Fig. 5 is avertical sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig.4,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of the indieating dial for setting the graduating mechanism to obtain predetermined spacing of the type in a line,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the rotary or pivoted graduating member,

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational view of a similar type of space graduating mechanism with the parts shown in their respective assembled positions in which the rotary graduating member is provided with a gear segment intermeshin'g'with the rack controlled by the escapement mechanism. l

The typewriter structure to which this invention is applied is indicated at 1 and shown in dotted lines which maybe any of the standand typewriter constructions now in use, and which has the movable carriage 2 suitably supported thereon and operated by a suitable mechanism in a well known manner. The typewriter constructions now known and used in the art are provided with a suitable standard escapement lmechanisuvl indicated at 3 having the star wheel 4 released in a well known manner to permit the.

step by step operation and movement of the carriage in one direction under the operation of a suitable mechanism well lmown in the art. e

Thetabulator bar forming part of the usual carriage structure of the typewriter is illustrated at. 5 which is normally mounted in the position shown in the drawing b means of a pair of brackets on the carriage ame. For the purpose of the present invention, these brackets have been removed and a pair of s ecial brackets indicated at 6 and 7 rcs ectively are employed 'which are mount as indicated at 8 on the 'frame of the carriage for suitably supporting the tabulator bar in its operative position. The tabulator bar `is mounted for a limited axial sliding movement on the brackets through the pin and slot connections 9 .with the brackets and through the operation of the compensating screw 10 rotatable in the upwardly extending terminal of the bracket 6 as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and threaded in a bore formed in one end of the tabulatoribar.

This structure provides a compensating means for-,changing the relation between the graduatingmechanism, which will be described, and the carriage.

One end of the tabulator bar 5 which is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, removably mounts the supporting arm 11. This suporting arm is of special shape as clearly ilustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 having the curved diagonally extending portion 12 for relatively oisetting the end 13 secured to the tabulator bar from the end 14 in order that the' last named end will clear the adjacent portions of the typewriter frame and operating mechanism in the movement of the carriage between its operating limits. The end 14 ot' the supporting arm 11 rotatably supports the bell crank lever 15 rotatably mounted thereon by means of the screw 16 and having one end extending upwardly and provided with a curved diagonally extending portion 17 terminatin in the offset end 18 which is provided with a pivoted link connection 19 with the rack bar 20.

The rack bar 20 as illustrated in the drawings, is in the same position as in the standard typewriter structure, being mounted on the rear edge of the 'carriage frame. In connection with this invention, the usual standard rack bar which normally intermeshes with the gear on the escapement mechanism and controlled by the operation of the star WheelI is replaced by a similar rack bar which is indicated b the numeral 20 as above set forth, and is o greater length than the standard rack bar. This bar 20 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 21 through which the set screws 22 extend.

These set screws are mounted and suitably.

secured to the rear edge of the carriage frame for mounting the rack bar 20 on the rear edge of the carri e frame for relative sliding movement limited by the length of the slots.

The bell crank lever 15 forms the graduating member and has the free end 23 extending in substantially horizontal relation in the rear of the typewriter frame and provided with a guide roller 24 operable in the guideway 25 formed between spaced parallel bars 26 forming a control member 26 and operating member for the graduating member 15. These parts cooperate `to form the space graduating mechanism of `the typewriter. The parallel bars are suitably connected by bridge pieces 27 at spaced intervals throughout their length, one of which is positioned in the central portion and formed with a stud 28 extending therefrom thrcadcdly receiving the nut 29 for rotatably mounting the control 'member on the supporting arm i30 which is removably secured to the rear edge of the main typewriter frame as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

This control member also mounts a segmental rack 31 at one side of the parallel bars 26 as clearly shown in Fig. 4, which intermeshes with the gear32 mounted on the shaft 33 rotatable in the laterally extending end 34 of bracket and a bearing bracket and settin ydial indicated at 35 secured to the/front en and at one side of the main typewriter frame as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. This bearing and indicator dial or setting dial 35 is of annular form as illustrated in Fig. 6 and provided with an extension 36 to permit the mounting of the dial at the left hand side of the keyboard of the typewriter through the use of the same screws that mount the indicator 37 on the frame which controls the setting of the ribbon to obtain the desired color typing. The forward end of the shaft 33 in front of the dial 35 receives the operating knob 38 which carries the setting indicator 39 of ring-shaped formation provided with the indicator. Wire 40 extending diametrically across the ring 39 and in radial n relation with respect to the dial 35. i

The outer periphery of the dial is provide with a suitable scale 41 indicating character spacing for a line while the successively inwardly disposed concentric scales 42'are provided to indicate increased and decreased numbers of characters less than a line as compared with the number of characters in the same space at standard spacing which may be desired, in order to obtain the dcsired spacing of the characters in aline.

From the above description and in comparing the construction as shown in the drawings with a standard typewriter, it should be understood that the escapement'mechanism for controlling the movement of the rack bar 2O is in no way changed in this construction from the standard typewriter structure on which this invention 1s appligd, and that the back spacing mechanism together with the carriage speed mechanism and all other asloa sociated parts are in no way changed in construction or operation from the standard practice and structure at present in use.

'In providing this invention for attachment to standard typewriter structures, itwill'thus be seen that the operative parts of the typewriter are in no way changed or the construction thereof changed except in the replace` anism an ment of the rack burin rwhich a special rack bar structure 2O replaces the standard rack Vbar but otherwise operates in the'same mantween the position of the carriage and theescapement mechanism so that successive lines of typing using varying numbers of characters in a line can have lthe proper compensation made so that the first'character in each line can be alined vertically of the sheets on `which ,they are printed. l

With this replacement of only two of the standard parts of a standardtypewriter, it will therefore be seen that the several key controlled mechanisms of the standard typewriter are in no way'affected in their operation in the usual manner.

The rack bar 2O being directly intermeshed with the pinion on the star .wheel shaft of the escapement mechanism has the uniform movement of the rack bar and carriage of the standard typewriter for all conditions of operation so that the rack bar for each step of operation moves the distance the carriage and rack har is designed to move for standard type spacing. The actuating member or lever 15 pivotally connected by the link 19 to the rack bar 20 as clearly shown inFig. 2 therefore has a standard movement at the end connected with the link 19 and the rack bar in the normal operation of the typewriter mechanism. By setting the control member 26 so that the guideway 25 is parallel with the rack bar 20. the roller 24 will ride freely back and forth between the parallel bars of the control member 26, the lever 15 will reciprocate in this position of these parts back and forth with the movement of the carriage and the rack bar 20 Without rotating on its pivotal connection with the link 19 or with respect to the rack bar 20, or even the control member 26. A

In view of the fact that the lever 15 Will not rotate with this position of the parts it will be readily understood that the support.

ing arm 11 for the graduating member 15 will be moved a corresponding distance to that of the rack bar and link. 19 and being connected to the carriage will therefore "move the carriage to produce standard type spacing throughout the line of type. This will therefore produce standard spacing ofthe characters in a line as produced by the standard typewriter constructions now in use.

With this understanding of the construction and operation of the parts andwith particular reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that in the travel of the carriage back and forth between its limits of movement with this invention applied, that if the control member i 26 is rotated in the bracket 30 so as to assume an inclined position such as illustrated lin y. Fig. 2 with respect to the horizontal plane or distance in printing a. line of characters and print a fewer number of characters in a line than Where the arts are set as above described for the stan `ard spacing of the characters. .As a result. greater than standard spacing Will occur between the printed characters in aline printed With the parts shown in Fig. 2.

The knob 38 is suitably operated for controlling and setting the control member 26 to obtain the desired type spacing either greater or less than standard type spacing and is set in conjunction with the graduations on the dial 35 to obtain a desired spacing of-characters in a line. When thecontrol member 26 is in an opposite inclination to the horizontal plane from that illustrated in Fig. 2, the control member or lever 15 will be rotated in an opposite direction so as to produce a smaller movement of the carriage in comparison With the movementof the rack bar 20 so as to space the type or charac-ters in a line of type printed by the machine closer than standard spacing. In this Way a considerably larger number of characters can be printed in a line of predetermined length by this reduced or smaller spacing than is possible With standard spacing.

It will therefore be understood that this invention employs a diiferent principle of operation from t at disclosed in the cro-pending application and patent above mentioned in employing al rotary graduating member, In order to more clearly illustrate this new graduating mechanism, reference is made to Fig. 8 in which the rack bar 44 is movable under the control of the escapement mecha.

nism for standard stepped movement to produce standard spacing and with. Whichintermeshes the graduating member 45 in the form ofan annular disk rotatably supported by the l.

supporting arm 46 suitably mounted on the carriage a portion of which is indicated at 47. This graduating member is provided with an arm 48 .projecting from the periphery thereof provided with a roller 49 rotatable on the end and operable in the guideway of the control member 50` as indicated by the 1. I

numeral ed on the supporting bracket 52 suitably aty This control member 50 is pivotally mountf tached to the frame in the same manner as with the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and is adapted to be controlled by the same operating and control mechanism for governing space graduation through the operation of the knob 38. From this illustration in Fig. 8, it will be seen that the rotation of the graduating member is governed by the control member so as to prevent rotation thereof for standard type spacing with the control member in a plane parallel to the rack bar 44 and to increase or decrease spacing of the characters in a line in accordance with the setting of the control member at an angle to the plane of the rack bar for rotating the disc in one direction or the other in the movement of the carriage.

While the rack bar 2O is mounted on the carriage frame, it will have relative movement with respect thereto whenever the space graduating mechanism is set for line spacing of characters greater or less than standard spacing. It will be observed fromthe drawings that the entire mechanism may be attached to a standard t pewriter with the replacement of the rack ar and the brackets `6 and 7 and through securing the support 30 onto the frame by drilling and tapping a pair of holes therein and securing the indicator 35 in place with the same supporting screws as are used for the ribbon indicator. Then the be seen that this invention may be readily apy plied to any typewriter of standard construction in a relatively short space of time, and which upon attachment will sutiiciently operate to control space graduation of the type in a line.

With this construction, it will be clear that 4the rack bar of the escapement mechanism moves in the same directlon as the carriage and a greater or less distance than the carriage according to the variation of the line spacing of characters from standard spacing. It is to be further noted that when the control member`26 is set for standard spacing by properly setting the indicator 40 with respect to the registering dial, that the space graduating mechanism is inoperative except as a means for transmitting motion through the pivotal mounting 16 for the graduating member 15 in which the spacing of the carriage is directly controlled by the escapement mechanism.

The set screws 22 maybe tightened if desired to rigidly mount vthe rack bar 20 on the carriage frame when the indicator is set for Astandard spacing which will eifectively render the mechanism inoperative, so that the carriage and the typewriter will operatem the same manner as the standard construction.

With the further reference to Fig. 6, showing the indicating dial and pointer cooperating therewith, it will be noted that the outer edge of the dial is provided with the graduations 41 having cooperation with the indicator wire 4() to indicate character spacing in a line of standard length such as in typewriter-s built with a ten inch carriage having standard s acing of ten characters to the inch.

It will e understood, however, that this invention is applicable to ty vewriters having twelve, fourteen, or twenty-icm inch characters as well as any other length character made in the construction of typewriters. For this purpose the scale indicated by the numeral 41 on the outer edge of the dial will contain the number of divisions necessary to indicate the length of a line on the typewriter to which it 1s applied.

With a typewriter having a ten inch carriage, a total of one hundred characters can be typed in a line with standard spacing of ten characters to the inch as above stated. On a typewriter construction of this type, it is usual to only type approximately eighty characters per line or even less according to the margin to be left at the right and left hand sides of the paper. If a line of typing is started on the typewriter scale at the point marked 5 and it is desired to end the line at the point marked on the standard typewriter scale, it will be seen to provide an equal margin at each edge of the sheet for typewriting work, that a co y of the work will first be made withistan ard spacing, in which the lines will terminate as near the desired point as is convenient, and in the case of each line or a majority of the lines, they will terminate either one, two, three or four characters more or less than the ninety characters to the line.

This will be determined foreach line from the standard copy, and then in order to make the spacing equal in each line at each edge of the paper, the graduating mechanism will be set for each line in accordance with the markings on the scale 41, so that it will be set one division to the right or to the left of the point 55 in accordance with whether there were fewer or a larger number of characters in a line, typed with standard spacing. When set in this manner, the line of t pe by the typewriter set for space gra uation through the cooperation of the indicator wire 41 and the dial 35, it will be understood that the lines will all terminate at the same distance from the edge of the paper to provide even starting and termination of the typing in each line.

In this way, the additional or fewer characters are so spaced for each line as to occupy the 'space between the point 5 and the point 75 on the standard typewriter scale.

That is, the point 55 on the indicator dial indicates the standard spacing of these characters to a line, while each mark on the scale 41 to the left of the point 55 indicates successively more characters for aline ofthe saine len h as the standard line. Each divlslon to a successively fewer number of characters for the same length line, such as 79, 78, etc.

Concentrically provided on the face of the disk with respect to the scale 41 and inwardly thereof, are a plurality of circumferential markings 56, 57, 58 and 59 respectively, which as shown in Fig. 6, have the numerals 6, 4, 3, 2, respectively, at the ends thereof for indicating linear measure in inches. If it is desired to have four characters more than the number obtained by standard spacing in a two inch space, the indicator wire 41 will be moved so that` it will be set opposite the fourth dot to the left of the point 55 on the circle indicated by the'numeral .59. Should it be desired to have one or more characters less thanthe standard number in a'two inch space, then the indicator wire 41 is set in line with the desired dot according to the number of characters less than the standard number in a two inch space tothe right of the point 55 onthe circle 59.

Likewise, should it be desired to have four additional characters in a six inch space, the indicator wire 41 would be set to register with the dot 61 on the concentric circle 56 and if four characters less than the standard number in a six inch space were desired, then the indicator would be/set to the point 60 on the circlef56.

In this way it will be seen that through the operation of the indicator, the spacing ofthe typewriter may be changed to obtain any desired number of characters in a line or in any suitable space by the operation of the pointer carrying the Wire 40 at the desired point or scale graduation formed on the dial 35.

A construction of this type is especially desirable for form letter work or any form of tabulating work in order that the typing space may be limited so that within the desired limits the typing will begin and end in the same vertical plane on the paper.

lVhile the compensating mechanism above set forth may be used in connection with a construction of this type,.it has been found that t-he carriagefor any space graduationhas a center point on the standard scale for vertically aligning one or more characters in adj acent lines, and in the construction shown in the drawings, the partsare centered so that the carriage will always center 011 the division 45 on the standard typewriter scale regardless of the setting4 of the space graduating mechanism by the operation of the knob 38 and the setting of the pointer on the dial. It has been found from practical experience that this centering can be obtained at any desired point on the standard scale of the typee right of point 55 in Figure 6 indicates writer ,and for general types of work, will bethe zero point control member 26 can be made adjustable in a plane parallel with the movement of the carriage so as to set the center point at any desired point on the standard typewriter Scale for desired purposes. 4

It is to be further understood that if desired the scale can be placed on a strip of metal so that instead of cooperating with a rotary pointer, the strip of metal will provide a linear scale with a slide member movable therein and havin suitable mechanism for connecting it with he control member to insure the setting of the control member in accordance with the setting of the slide member on the linear scale.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is 1. In a line spacing graduating attachment for typewriters com rising in combination, a typewriter' frame, aving its carriage operatively mounted thereon and an escapement mechanism operable to control the movement of the carriage, movable means 'mounted on the carriage forming a single direct connection between the same and the tion of said mechanism to the carriage, a control member pivotally mounted on the frame and connected with the -movable means, adapted to' vary the ratio of movement between the carriage and escapement mechanism either to increase or decrease the same, adjustable means to vary the position of the control member and a position indicator for said control memberoperable through the ad-I justable means.

2. In a line spacing graduating attachment for typewriters comprising in combination, a typewriter frame having a carriage operatively mounted thereon andan escapement mechanism operable to control the movement of said carriage, an arm rigidly attached at one end to the carriage, a. bellcrank lever fulcrumed at the opposite end thereof, a pivoted link connecting one end of the lever to the escapement mechanism, a control member .forming a slidingk connection with the opposite end of the lever, means for adjusting said control member whereby to vary the ratio of movement between the carriage and escapement mechanism to increase or decrease i connection with the opposite end movement of said carri "e, en' arm rigl attached at one end of c carriage, a 1- crank lever fulcrumed at the opposite end thereof, a pivoted link connectin one end 5 of the lever to the esca ement mec anism, a.

an adjusting shaft, a. rack and gear connection between the sanneV and" the control member and a position indicator for said. control member operable'throu h-the shaft.

In testimony whereo tures.

KENNETH C.' OBRYAN( JAMES VOBBYAN we aix our signe# 

